electron-builder: Build hangs when rebuilding native when using npx only

Electron-Builder Version: 22.13.1

Node Version: 16.13.0

Electron Version: 8.5.5
Electron Type (current, beta, nightly): current

Target: darwin

npx electron-builder --mac

  • electron-builder  version=22.14.6 os=20.6.0
  • loaded configuration  file=package.json ("build" field)
  • loaded parent configuration  preset=react-cra
  • writing effective config  file=dist/builder-effective-config.yaml
  • rebuilding native dependencies  dependencies=drivelist@9.2.4 platform=darwin arch=x64
  • install prebuilt binary  name=drivelist version=9.2.4 platform=darwin arch=x64 napi=
  • build native dependency from sources  name=drivelist
                                          version=9.2.4
                                          platform=darwin
                                          arch=x64
                                          napi=
                                          reason=prebuild-install failed with error (run with env DEBUG=electron-builder to get more information)
                                          error=prebuild-install info begin Prebuild-install version 5.3.6
    prebuild-install WARN install prebuilt binaries enforced with --force!
    prebuild-install WARN install prebuilt binaries may be out of date!
    prebuild-install info looking for cached prebuild @ /Users/mifi/.npm/_prebuilds/fee87d-drivelist-v9.2.4-electron-v76-darwin-x64.tar.gz
    prebuild-install http request GET https://github.com/balena-io-modules/drivelist/releases/download/v9.2.4/drivelist-v9.2.4-electron-v76-darwin-x64.tar.gz
    prebuild-install http 404 https://github.com/balena-io-modules/drivelist/releases/download/v9.2.4/drivelist-v9.2.4-electron-v76-darwin-x64.tar.gz
    prebuild-install WARN install No prebuilt binaries found (target=8.5.5 runtime=electron arch=x64 libc= platform=darwin)

…then the command hangs and never returns.

When restarting the build with DEBUG we can see this printed:

  • execute command  command=/node-v16.13.0-darwin-x64/bin/node /node-v16.13.0-darwin-x64/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npx-cli.js rebuild --verbose drivelist@9.2.4
                     workingDirectory=
  ⨯ cannot execute  cause=exit status 1
                    out=You forgot to tell me what to run when the files changes!

                    command=/node-v16.13.0-darwin-x64/bin/node /node-v16.13.0-darwin-x64/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npx-cli.js rebuild --verbose drivelist@9.2.4
                    workingDir=
  • exited          command=app-builder_amd64 code=2 pid=62703

It’s trying to run npx-cli.js of the module rebuild which I think is not what is intented. So something seems to be wrong with the code trying to run npm.

Instead running this command (without npx) yields a successful result:

./node_modules/electron-builder --mac

...
  • execute command  command=npm rebuild --verbose drivelist@9.2.4 workingDirectory=
  • command executed  executable=npm
                      out=rebuilt dependencies successfully

About this issue

Original URL
State: open
Created 3 years ago
Reactions: 6
Comments: 28 (8 by maintainers)

Commits related to this issue

fix(build): use npm exec instead of npx see https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/issues/6411#issuecomment-966454664 — committed to JiPaix/Fukayo by JiPaix 2 years ago

Most upvoted comments

Just encountered this today for myself. Updated node vom v12 to v16 & npm dependencies from an old project from like 2019 or so and npx electron-builder would hang for me after checking for prebuilds on this command:

/usr/bin/node /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npx-cli.js rebuild --verbose <package1> <package2> <package3> workingDirectory=

Calling npm exec electron-builder wont hang here and will result in a successful build.

electron-builder: v23.0.3 node: v16.15.1 npm: v8.11.0

RicoBrase on Jun 20, 2022

I have this issue too since upgrading from npm 14 to 16

Simon-Laux on Apr 30, 2022

Still an issue with npx

mifi on Apr 16, 2022

Just hit this today.

kyrofa on Apr 21, 2022

Root cause https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/6662 is now fixed in npm@10.1.0!

rotu on Sep 9, 2023

I think the root cause is https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/6662 via https://github.com/develar/app-builder/blob/4e2aa6a12e2bc3d31ec0d01d661fb3a4d65248ff/pkg/node-modules/rebuild.go#L361-L366

rotu on Sep 3, 2023

This has started happening to me in Github Actions after upgrade to latest on all packages.

electron-builder: v23.6.0 node: v18.3.0 npm: v8.11.0

 execute command  command='C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\node\18.3.0\x64\node.exe' 'C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\node\18.3.0\x64\node_modules\npm\bin\npx-cli.js' rebuild --verbose bufferutil@4.0.6 utf-8-validate@5.0.9

Source: https://github.com/typerefinery-ai/typerefinery/actions/runs/4979950195/jobs/8912352154

Trying to install these packages globally.

wildone on May 15, 2023

I don’t run Windows, but I remember it worker well on GH CI Windows image/env.

yes, that’s the same, doens’t change a thing

npm -v (If I remember it right, exec got supported since npm v7)?

vladimiry on Aug 3, 2022

“npm exec electron-builder” doesn’t work on Windows

npm exec --package=electron-builder -- electron-builder same?

vladimiry on Aug 3, 2022